Aston Villa have sacked manager Alex McLeish after 11 months in charge. The 53-year-old former Scotland manager said his farewell to the Villa staff on Monday morning. Villa have endured a poor Premier League campaign, finishing just above the relegation zone after winning only four of 19 games at home. McLeish was an unpopular appointment as he arrived from Birmingham City last year but poor results and performances worsened his relationship with fans. A club statement read: "Aston Villa can confirm that Alex McLeish's contract has been terminated with immediate effect. The club has been disappointed with this season's results, performances and the general message these have sent to our fans. "The board wishes to assure supporters that we are conscious in every sense that Villa expects and deserves more and we will strive to deliver this." Villa chairman Randy Lerner said: "We need to be clear and candid with ourselves and with supporters about what we have lacked in recent years. "Compelling play and results that instil a sense of confidence that Villa is on the right track have been plainly absent. "The most immediate action that we can take is to look carefully at our options in terms of bringing in a new manager who sees the club's potential and embraces our collective expectations." He faced widespread protests from Villa supporters after leaving relegated Birmingham to take over from Gerard Houllier in June 2011. And his cause was not helped by a string of disappointing performances. Villa won only seven league matches all season, effectively securing their Premier League status with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham in the penultimate game. McLeish had stints with Motherwell and Hibernian before taking over at Rangers, where he went on to win two SPL titles, in December 2001. His spell at Ibrox ended in 2006 and after a brief spell as Scotland manager he joined Birmingham in November 2007. McLeish could not avoid relegation in his first season but brought them straight back to the Premier League in 2009. Despite guiding Blues to the Carling Cup in February 2011 a dreadful league run saw them relegated once again three months later. Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18056282
I think the appointment of former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is worst than that of Alex McLeish considering the budget of both club.
